Bad Reputation (1977)

Largely recorded as a trio, Bad Reputation reached number four in the UK charts. Opium Trail and the title track are driving rockers but Dancing In The Moonlight catches Phil Lynott in a romantic mood.

Brian Downey says:

“By that stage Brian Robertson had left the band although he did contribute a couple of solos. Bad Reputation was rehearsed in London but then we decided to go out to Canada to record it in a studio in Toronto with Tony Visconti producing. He was just great because like John Alcock he’d take his time, he wouldn’t rush you, he was very patient, very precise.”

“The studio was a really good live sounding studio and Tony seemed to grasp our live sound really well on that album, where the previous couple of albums had more of a studio sound.”

“We were shacked up in this hotel that wasn’t far from the studio, so the pressure was off. You could stay as long as you like, two or three in the morning, then go back to the hotel and have seven hours sleep and be up again.”